Lubricant-conserver.



PATENTED OCT. 25, 1904.

L. E. MURPHY.

LUBRIGANT CONSBRVER.

PPLITIION FILED MR. 29, 1994.

l No MODEL.

arca-Qq' I Su , UNITED STATES Patented October 25, 1904.

PATENT l GEEICE.

LOUIS FDWARD MURPHY, OF JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA.

, ,SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent'No. 772,954, dated October 25, 1904.

i Application filed March 29,1904.Y Serial No. 200,56Q. (N model.) l

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, L'oUIs EDWARDMURPHY,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Jacksonville, in the county of Duval and State of Florida, have invented a new and useful Lubricant-Conserver, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention-relates to means for preventing the waste and loss of oil employed in lubricating bearings, particularly those bearlecting the oil, so that it may be used over` again.

The preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinh Figure 1 is a side elevation of a well-known type of turbine, showing the conserver applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view through said turbine with the attachment shown in plan. Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view through the lubricant-receiving reser- Voir.

vSimilar reference-numerals indicate corresponding parts in all the figures of the drawings.

' The motor illustrated is the De Laval steamturbine, comprising a suitable wheel-case 4, withinwhich is mounted a turbine-wheel 5, supported by a sectional shaft 6, which shaft is journaled in suitable bearings 7, forming parts of the casing 4. Within the casing and on the other inner sides of thev bearing are formed oil-receiving pockets 8, located beneath the shaft 6 andarranged to receive the lubricant which may pass through the bearings 7, travel along and drip from the shaft.

When these pockets are filled, the oil ordinarily passes through to the interior of the wheel-case and eventually finds its way to the condenser and back tothe boiler with the feedwater. This objection is obviated by the following structure: A closed lubricant-receiving reservoir 9, consisting of a tubular shell 10, having end caps 11 fitted thereon, is located eXteriorly of the turbine and has communication with `the pockets 8 through conduits or oil-pipes 12, leading from said pockets to a common coupling 13, connected with the top of the reservoir. In' this coupling is arranged a 4suitable valve 14, by means of which the communicationpan be controlled. A pressure or vacuum equalizing pipe 15,` entirely independent of the pipes 12, constitutes the means of .communicationV between the interior of the wheel-case andthe reservoir, this pipe being also provided with a controlling-valve 16. A draw-off cock 17 communicates with the lower portion of the reservoir, and a valved vent 18 is located inthe top of the same. A gage-glass 19 may also beemployed, being secured to the sideof the reservoir, as shown in Fig. 1.

As long as the motor-is running thervalves 14 and 16am open, while the vent and drawofcocks are closed. The result is that the vacuum inthe motor and in the reservoir is y equal and oilthat may drip into the pockets 8 will pass freely and without interference through the conduits 12 into the reservoir 9. Thus it will be prevented from entering the wheel-case and being passed to the boiler with the feed-water of condensation. When it is desired to draw off the accumulated oil from the reservoir 9, the valves 14 and 16 are closed,

while the vent and draw-off cocks are opened, permitting the passage of oil through the latter. 1t will therefore be apparent that this simple arrangement prevents the objections noted in the preliminary portion of the specilication and effects a very considerable saving in lubricant, actual tests having shownthat ninety per cent.k of the oilcan be conserved.

While the invention is shown in connection with a well-known type of motor working under a vacuum-exhaust, it will be apparent that the structure is capable of use in other relations and will operate as efficiently under steampressure. l

IOO

The equalizer-pipe 15 is a feature of importance under certain conditions, and particularly in that type of motor wherein a vacuum is employed. It is of course desirable that the conditions so far as pressure or vacuuni is concerned should be the same in the reser- Voir as in the motor-casing in order that the lubricant may flow without opposition into the former. If this equalization were secured solely through the lubricant-conducting pipes, the back draft would be from the reservoir to the motor through said pipes, and consequently in direct opposition to the direction of iow of the lubricant. By having the equalizer-pipe this objection is overcome to a very material degree, as the back draft can take place therethrough, and the lubricant will flow through the conducting-pipes by gravity without being drawn back. At the same time it may be stated that the equalizer-pipe is not an absolute necessity, particularly where the reservoir and connections can be maintained without leakage.

From the foregoing it is thought that the construction, operation, and many advantages of the herein-described invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art without further description, and it will be understood that Various changesin the size, shape, proportion, and minor details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit or sacrilicing any of the advantages of the invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

1. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a fluid-pressure motor including a closed case and a shaft journaled in the case, of a lubricant-receiver located in the case, a closed lubricant-receiving reservoir, and a conduit connecting the receiver and the reservoir.

2. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a fluid-pressure motor including a closed case and a shaft journaled in the case, of a lubricant-receiver located in the case, a closed lubricant-receiving reservoir located eXteriorly of the case, and a conduit extending through the case and connecting the receiver and reservoir.

3. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a fluid-pressure motor including a closed case and a shaft journaled therein, of a lubricant-receiving pocket located witliin the case, a closed lubricant-receiving reservoir located exteriorly of the case, a Valved conduit extending through the case and connecting the reservoir and receiver, and a valyed fluid-outlet connected tothe lower part of the reservoir.

l l l l 4. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a fluid-pressure motor including' a closed case and a shaft extending through the case and having spaced l arings therein, of spaced pockets located within the case and receiving the surplus lubricant from the bearings, a closed reservoir located exteriorly of the case, and lulnicant-conducting` connections extending through the lase and connecting thc pockets and reservoir.

5. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a Huid-pressure motor including an inclosing` case, of a bearing associated therewith, an oil-receptacle local ed wil hin the case and receiving the surplus lubricant from the bearing, an oil-reservoir located exteriorly of the case, a conduit for cond ucting oil from the receptacle to the reservoir, and an equalizer-pipe connecting the case and the reservoir.

6. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a motor comprising a case and a shaft having bearings in the case, of lubricant-pockets for receiving surplus lubricant from the bearings, and a closed lubricant-receiving reservoir having air-tight lubricant-conducting connections with the pochets and communication with the interior of the case.

7. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a motor comprising a case and a shaft having bearings in the case, of lubricant-pockets located within the case for re ceiving surplus lubricant from the bearing, a lubricant-reservoir arranged exteriorly of the case, lubricant-conducting conduits connect ing the pockets and reservoir, and an equalizer-pipe constituting means of communication between the interior of the case and the reservoir.

8. In apparatus of the class described, the combination with a rotary motor having a wheel-case, of a wheel located within the case, a shaft supporting the wheel and having bearings inthe case, pockets formed in the case inside the bearings, a closed lubrieant-receiring vessel arranged exterior] y of the case, a valved outlet from said vessel, a valved vent in said vessel, lulnicant-conducting pipes coinmunieating with the pockets and leading to the vessel, valves for controlling such communication, and a valved equalizer-pipe connecting the case and the vessel.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aliixed my signataire in the presence of two witnesses.

LOUIS EDIVARD MURPHY.

IVitnesses: Y

JOHN E. Ivens, Mami E. Fan'rwnLL.

IOO

IOS 

